By the sword you shall die
by maia1995
Summary: Alternative ending for Dairanger. The last duel between Ryou and Shadam. Who will win? Don't read if you haven't watched the series' final episodes.


**By the sword you shall die**

With the arrival of Daijinryu, the Dairangers lost their Lai Lai jewels and Shadam lost his Earth Shaking one. The palace was crumbling. The heroes were trying to escape the falling roof pieces and the fire around. Out of there, Kameo watched it and panicked. The great dragon had no pity over them. He would stop when the two sides give up in fighting. Of course, those were not the plans of the main evil commander, who still longed to be the emperor of Gorma and conquer Earth. Shadam ran away from the rangers. "Gorma is mine! No one shall pass!" he shouted in madness. Ryou sworn to avenge Master Kaku's death. He chased Shadam, running through the rooms, until he found him in the Emperor room.

"You won't escape, Shadam!" the red ranger shouted. "This is our last duel!"

"Do you think I'll let it happen? I am the emperor of Gorma now! After I restore Gorma, I'm sure we'll conquer Earth. I don't have time for your games."

"I'll avenge Doushi's death!"

The palace trembled again and they fell over the ruins. The Dairangers were searching for Ryou.

"Ryou nii-chan! Where did you go?" Kou cried out in the air.

"That stupid! We should get out of here! Ryou!" Shouji shouted in anger and desperation.

They ran as the pillars collapsed. Then they managed to get out of that wrecked place. Ryou and Shadam were still locked in the Emperor room. The dragon ranger jumped and held the villain's neck. Shadam pressed his hands to weaken him and kicked him in the stomach. Then he got rid of his grip and panted for a while, gasping for breath.

"You'll pay for this, Ryuu Ranger!" he ran toward Ryou, grabbed him by the shirt and threw him into a pillar, which fell on him. Shadam laughed at him, then fled the room nervously.

Meanwhile, the Dairangers managed to leave the palace. They fled to a nearby beach.

"Ryou! Where are you?" Daigo called him.

"I wonder if he got out." Kazu commented.

"I wouldn't expect much if I were you." Shadam arrived at the same beach. He laughed at them.

"Shadam! Where is Ryou?" Shouji asked.

"It can't be..." Daigo muttered.

"He was crushed inside the palace. Lose your hopes." The villain responded with contempt. "It's a matter of time until Gara appears and we kill you here."

Daigo laughed at him. "Your clay doll is not alive anymore. The real Gara is in heaven with Kujaku."

"You killed her!" Shadam got angry and blasted the Shishi Ranger. The others helped him to get up.

"Kou! Come to my side! It's useless to be with them. After I finish the Dairangers, you'll have no place or friends."

"Are you kidding? No way! I'll fight with them." the boy replied.

"You are a Gorma!"

"What?" Kou asked, surprised.

"You're my son. The son of a Gorma man and a Dai woman. You can still leave them and become a full Gorma."

The kid was shocked. "It's a lie! You're lying!" He hid his face in Lin's arms while crying.

"It's not a lie. Ask them." Shadam replied in his usual calm.

"You may be right, Shadam, but Kou was protected by his mother. He can't be possessed by the evil spirit of Gorma!" Lin responded him, while embracing Kou.

"What? Damn you!" He was ready to blast her, but Ryou appeared and kicked him in the face. He fell to the ground, bleeding in the corner of the mouth. "You should be dead!"

"Don't mess with a Dairanger!" Ryou shouted. He grouped with the other Dai. They gathered around Ryou. Shouji tapped his shoulder and Kou embraced him at the waist.

"How touching..." The bad guy laughed in disdain. "Die together!" He formed an energy ball and blasted them. They flew as explosions were formed behind them, and they fell to the ground, a little injured.

"Shadam, it's your end!" Daigo shouted as he, Shouji and Kazu ran toward him. Shadam turned to see them. Energy beams came out of his eyes and hit the heroes. Ryou appeared behind him and tried to hold him by the neck, with his arm around. Daigo punched the villain hard in the stomach. He passed out for a second, only to regain strength.

"I'm tired of your games, Dairanger!" He held Tenma and Kirin by the neck and began to choke them. He dropped them and kicked them out of his way.

"You bastard!" Daigo jumped in the air ready to kick him, but Shadam grabbed his foot and threw him away. The green ranger fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Houou Ranger, give me my son." He walked toward them.

"No matter what you do, I won't leave Kou!" she shouted at him as she walked away with the boy. Shadam took her by the arm with a strong grip. "Don't challenge me, you don't know what I'm..."

"What, Shadam?" Ryou surprised him and grabbed him by the leather coat. "You went too far by chasing an innocent child. Fight like a man!"

"Stupid!" he replied "I had enough of you. I challenge you to a last duel."

"That's what I was talking about!"

"Ryou, this is dangerous! He is treacherous!" Lin told him. Ryou looked at her a little worried about her words.

"How is it, Ryuu Ranger? Are you afraid?" Shadam provoked him and laughed.

"Afraid of you? Never!"

Then, they set themselves for their battle. The other rangers grouped around Lin and she told them about the duel.

"Ryou! Get out of there!" Shouji tried to change his mind.

"It's useless now. He seems steady." Kazu said with a worried look.

The battle started as they ran toward each other. Ryou punched him several times, but then Shadam stopped his fist with his hand and punched his face. Ryou turned his face in pain, and the villain took the opportunity to hold him by the neck.

"You'll pay for that time, Ryuu Ranger!" He loosened his grip. Ryou fainted. He kicked the ranger aside to make him lose consciousness.

"Ryou!" Each one of the Dairangers shouted.

Shadam stepped on his chest and took a knife from his pocket. He pointed it to a fallen Ryou and said: "It's your end!"

He was ready to stab Ryou, but when it came near his face, the hero surprised him and held the knife, which was very close to him. Shadam tried to stab him, then Ryou pushed his hands and tripped him up. Ryou took the knife and pointed it to Shadam, who was lying on the ground, trying to dodge the blade. The dragon ranger was going near him as he was dragging himself away.

"You...how dare?" he glared at Ryou and looked around. "Kou!" he shouted. "Will you let your father die?"

Kou looked surprised. He couldn't understand how the evil man dared to ask for his help.

"Kou! I'm your only family. If I die, you'll be unhappy forever! You'll live with this guilt! I'm your dad..."

"Stop messing with this child!" Ryou slapped him on the face. He got angry and tried to get up, but the ranger put the knife near his neck. He gulped in fear.

"What do you plan by doing this?" the colonel asked, hoping for a way to escape.

"I told you before. Fight like a man!" He threw the knife away and moved away from him. Shadam began to rise from the ground, when Ryou grabbed him by the collar and shouted at him. "Fight like a man! Not like when you killed Doushi. You coward!" He struck his face with the back of his hand. It opened a cut on his mouth and blood came out. The bad guy fell on his knee.

"You've gone too far...I'll kill you!" He surprised Ryou by kicking him in the stomach. Ryou retreated some steps, trying to breathe. Shadam punched his arm and his back. The ranger crouched in pain and was blasted by the Youryoku of his hands. He flew in the air and fell to the ground. Ryou got up and formed a Kiryoku sphere.

"Daijinryu took our Dairanger powers but not our inner strength. Shadam, feel the power of Ki!"

"Stupid...don't make me laugh!" He formed a Youryoku sphere. The energies clashed as they were keeping their own power strong. A huge sphere was made and it exploded between them. They flew away from each other. Both had a bleeding cut on the face.

"They are killing themselves! Ryou, stop!" Kazu shouted, trying to warn him.

"Shut up! This is the spirit of the battle!" Shadam replied the Kirin Ranger.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you!" Ryou provoked him.

"What are you talking about?"

"This!" Ryou surprised him by throwing the knife at his face, forming a gash. The villain touched his face, only to see blood coming out. Angrily, he grabbed Ryou by the shirt and tried to burn him with his Youryoku. Ryou punched him and escaped from his hands. He was scared to see his shirt turning into ashes. The bad guy laughed at him.

"Are you scared, Ryuu Ranger?" he smirked. "Burn in hell!"

Shadam summoned his fire power and Ryou was ready to use the forces of his element.

"They are going to burn themselves!" Daigo commented.

They didn't hesitate at launching fire at each other. Seeing that this could be dangerous for them, Kazu used his Ki power.

"Tenjisei Jikan Gaeshi!" he made the two go back in time. The Dairangers gathered around Ryou.

"Are you crazy? You could have been burned!" Shouji told him.

Shadam finally found his knife. He disappeared and appeared behind the heroes.

"Let's settle it now. Die, Ryuu Ranger!" He took his knife which was hidden in his pocket and threatened Ryou, who could hold his arm and stop the attack.

"Give up, Shadam! You'll die!" The red ranger told him.

"Fool! I'm the one who can kill you now."

"I wouldn't count on it."

"What?"

Ryou held him by the neck. The villain tried to get rid of his hand, but the hero choked him more.

"This time I shall win!"

"I still have the knife, you idiot..." He lost his breath and fell to the ground. The knife was thrown in the sand. Ryou picked it up quickly.

"You cheated...You are as unfair as I am..." Shadam laughed at him.

"Shut up, Shadam! We'll settle this now! You will not escape!"

"Bastard...Go to hell!" He rose from the ground and ran toward Ryou. The red ranger slashed him on the stomach with the knife. The bad guy paused a bit, then he jumped and kicked Ryou in the face. He turned to the hero and tried to get the knife. Ryou resisted and cut his hand, but he still didn't give up. His eyes turned red and blue beams came from it. Ryou flew in the air and fell to the ground. Shadam walked close to him, with the knife in his hands.

"My victory!" He pointed the blade to Ryuu Ranger and was about to stab him, but the ranger held it strongly.

"Damn you, Dairanger! It's your end!" He forced his hands toward Ryou's heart, but found resistance.

The Dairangers watched it defenseless. One wrong move and their friend could die.

"Ryou nii-chan! Do your best! Don't give up!" Kou shouted, trying to give him strength.

The others shouted his name too. Shadam looked at them. "Shut up, you fools! He'll be dead now! Start crying!"

Ryou saw him distracted and kicked him in the chest. He felt a sharp pain. He looked furious at Ryou and tried definitely to kill him, but the hero turned his hand against him and stabbed him. He forced the knife into his heart. Shadam began to lose strength, then his vision blurred. He took off the knife from his chest and saw that it was dyed red. He laid on the sand, trying not to close his eyes, while Ryou got up.

"It's a pity to end like this, Shadam. You could have lived in peace."

"I'll hate you...till the hour of my death...and if I ever live again...I'll destroy all of you...and conquer this planet..." he said, despite having difficulty to breathe. He lifted up his head to see his son. "Kou...you let your father die...Live with this guilt...forever..."

"Shut up! Don't mess with that child! Can't you rest in peace?"

"I don't need your pity..." He was about to say something, when he finally lost all strength. He closed his eyes and laid his head on the ground. Ryou came closer to him to hear his heartbeat. He got up and gathered with his friends.

"Well, it seems like he is really dead." he commented.

Kou wept a little and was comforted by Lin.

"What should we do? Leave him here or bury him?" Kazu asked.

"I don't know why but I feel that's the right thing to do." Ryou carried the Gorma in his arms and they left the beach. They buried him in a cemetery in Tokyo.

"Well, after that, what do we do now?" Daigo asked.

"It seems that our mission is over. Dairanger may split up now." Ryou replied.

"But not without a last meeting. See you at Sayama Park. Bring food please." Shouji ran to the nearest market.

Some hours later, they had a picnic. Kou took a sandwich from Shouji's hands, and the Tenma Ranger ran after him. Daigo and Kazu fought to get the sauces and painted each other's faces with it. Ryou and Lin shared some cookies.

The picnic ended and they cleaned the ground.

"So, guys, it's finished. Let's live after all." Ryou said.

They joined their hands and parted. They walked different ways, and Lin took Kou with her.


End file.
